Canning takes over as PM & tories split over foreign policy & catholic sympathy
Lack of stable leader to unite the party
Wellington had to give in to Catholic emancipation (lost support of left and right sides of party)
Resurgence in parliamentary reform campaign
Outbreaks of violence (Swing)
Daniel O'Connell
Why was O'Connell Important
Wanted catholic emancipation & to restore an irish parliament
Won the County Clare election (1828) but couldn’t take his seat in parliament as he was catholic
Peel & Wellington tried to stop him entering parliament by making him run again but he won regardless and achieved catholicemancipation
What were the effects of the Great reform act (1832)
Upper class expected working class to settle
Working classes got nothing from the act and continued protesting
Middle classes got some reforms but wanted more
The Tory party split
When was the Great Reform Act
1832
What did the Great Reform Act do
Extension of the electorate (middle class - 14% adult males)
Redistribution of seats (56 rotten boroughs abolished, 30 lost one MP)
Many industrial towns given MPs for first time
First step towards modern democracy
Forced the Tories to rethink principles on reform
Motivation for Whig's social reform
Fear of revolution from the working class
Liberalism, middle class ideology (utilitarianism)
Humanitarianism, William Wilberforce
Define Liberalism
laissez faire attitude
Define Humanitarianism
working for the benefit of humanity
What was the Education act (1833)
£20,000 grant established for education (less than annual budget for royal stables)
First step towards public education, within 40 years grant increased to £800,000
What was the Factory Act (1833)
Regulated factory conditions & enforced by inspectors
Work of children under 9 years made illegal, 2hours of education to be given to child workers aged 9-13 and were to work no more than 9hours, 13-18 no more than 12hours
What was the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act (1833)
William Wilberforce’s life struggle to end the slave trade was achieved
Slave owners compensated £20,000,000 (£37 per slave)
What was the Poor Law Amendment act (1834)
Allowed poor to seek refuge in workhouses
When was the Abolition of the Slave Trade
1833
When was the Factory act
1833
When was the Education act
1833
What was the Significance of the Great Reform Act
It was the first of its kind (step towards democracy)
Tory argument the British Constitution was organic which could be killed proven false
Gave the middle class a share of power & allowed series of social reforms
Changed the Tory Party for good (by 1835 they were no longer resistant to all change or reform)
(1) Passing of the Great Reform Act
Bill proposed (March 1831) reformative measures (extend electorate to 18% males & owners of houses £10<, redistribution of seats), passed through commons by 1 vote but defeated by Lords
New Bill introduced (sept 1831), passed through commons by 109 votes but defeated by Lords
(2) Passing of the Great Reform Act
Bill revised by commons (March 1832) as public distress increased, Grey resigns over inability to convince King to support the bill & radicals threatened a run on the bank & national uprisings
Wellington advises king to recall Grey to pass bill but instead the King persuaded objecting tories to pass the bill (passed in June 1832)
What caused the need for the Poor Law reform (1834)
Impact of the Napoleonic Wars causing agricultural depression